Food and vegetarian options on the Camino!

As a food lover who is passionate about cooking, for me travelling also means trying the typical dishes of the places I go to and bring home with me recipes and delicious memories.

I like the idea of associating food to something that could make a trip great. Most of the times some places are known and famous just because of a typical dish, and people travel to experience it.

As a vegetarian, this becomes even more difficult and challenging when you go to a place which is famous for its seafood, like Galicia!

When I started my adventure on the Camino I was a bit worried about the alternatives and options for vegetarians, but I must admit that I enjoyed every single meal I was offered. Usually evening meals along the Camino include a starter, a main dish and a dessert. The vegetarian options I usually got along the Camino were delicious grilled veggies (trust me they were!), special salads, soups and cakes for dessert.

If we consider the breakfast, the choice is even more huge! Usually breakfast in Spain is very simple compared to the rest of the world: most of the time you will find fruit, bread, butter and jam, pastries or cakes, and cereals served with coffee, milk, tea or fruit juice. In some of the bigger hotels along the Camino, breakfast is offered on a buffet basis made up of things like eggs, cold meats and cheese.

In general, as anticipated at the beginning of this article, Galicia is very famous for its seafood and fish. Most of the times menu for dinner has up to 2 choices between fish and meat.
My fellow amigos, Felicia and Sean, were really delighted with the seafood served and tasted along the Camino. In particular with the pulpo and other types of fish usually served with vegetables. Galicia also boasts great recipes made with fish, like croquetas or empanadas con atun.

As in my past life I was omnivore and as I lived in Santiago a few years ago, well… I have to admit that pulpo, as empanadas or any other Galician recipe with seafood is simply delicious! Once you get to Santiago then, there is plenty of good places where to eat and for sure there is no problem about surviving! Santiago city centre is full of restaurants of any kind and of pubs which serve delicious tapas with wine or beer.

Doing this Camino for me also meant going back to the memories, the places and flavours of my past Erasmus life. It was unbelievable the feeling of walking along Santiago small and busy roads, the same ones I used to walk every day. This time was different and the Camino gave me the chance to discover again, with different eyes and more deeply a place that belongs to my heart. Observing people arriving into the Obradorio Square – tired but happy after a long walk, meeting my old friends or simply enjoying a glass of wine with tortilla under the Galician sun (yes, there is this special guest sometimes) is just something that can’t be measured in money but just in moments and feelings.

For more information about vegetarian options or to book your next Camino de Santiago tour please contact one of our travel specialists.

This is great information. I’m stick on finding a place to stay in Rua. do you have any recommendations? Also, where can I find out about the terrain for getting proper shoes. We are walking in July from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela.

Thank you
Naomi

by Brian Fitzgerald

3 May 2017

Thank you for this info. I am a vegetarian & I am saving to ride this great ride.
regards,
Brian F. Austra;ia